Who is Anita Louise Jackson? Physician convicted of REUSING single-use surgical equipment on patients
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: A doctor was reportedly found guilty of reusing single-use equipment for sinus surgeries on unsuspecting patients hundreds of times. Anita Louise Jackson ran her business Greater Carolina Ear, Nose and Throat across three offices in the state, where she would reuse unsanitary devices to defraud and mislead her patients.
The 59-year-old otolaryngologist performed over 1,400 such operations for Medicare patients between 2011 and 2017, reportedly using just 36 devices. Jackson has also been convicted of fabricating medical and healthcare records, paying illegal salaries, mail fraud, and conspiracy.
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Jackson is reportedly facing up to 40 years in prison based on the charges as well as fines exceeding $250,000. The jury has already ordered forfeiture of $4,794,039.31 in Medicare fraud, according to the Daily Mail. The convict apparently ran her fraudulent practice in Raleigh, Lumberton, and Rockingham, where she used the Entellus XprESS, an FDA-approved device designed to conduct balloon sinuplasty, meant to treat chronic sinusitis. It's worth noting that the FDA has only approved the device to be used on one patient, for one surgery, before being discarded.
However, records obtained by the Department of Justice found that Jackson obtained only 36 devices in the years she conducted close to 1,400 procedures. "This doctor put profit ahead of patients, luring in Medicare patients with free 'sinus spas' and risking infection to those patients by reusing the same single-use surgical devices on them again and again," Michael Easley, US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, said in a press release. "If we allow doctors to bilk Medicare to pad their profits by performing unsupported medical procedures -- each and every American taxpayer eats the cost. But the harm is most felt by the victim-patients who deserved better, and the elderly Americans on Medicare who are entitled to quality care."
It was also confirmed that Jackson would hoodwink her patients by not informing them she was using the "adulterated" device, despite admittedly having enough resources to purchase them for each patient. "Jackson's blatant disregard for her patients' health has led to her conviction on multiple federal charges," the release stated. Meanwhile, she is also accused of using the aforementioned procedures to bill Medicare over $46 million. "The FDA continues in its commitment to aggressively pursue those who deviate from required standards of use for medical devices," Special Agent in Charge Justin C Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office, said in a statement. "We will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from potentially dangerous products."
That said, Jackson was also convicted of 10 counts of illegally coercing her patients to get the procedure done by not collecting co-patients. This allowed her to trick unsuspecting patients into what they believed was a "free" treatment they may not have needed. The perp is also accused of writing off and hiding the full cost of procedures on any bills that were given to patients. "It is disturbing when fraudsters exploit vulnerable Medicare enrollees and defraud federal health care programs for personal gain," Special Agent in Charge Tamala E Miles of the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General added. Meanwhile, the US Attorney's Office in the Middle District also has a pending civil action against Jackson, per the Daily Mail.
If you or someone you know is a potential victim in this case, you are urged to call the HHS-OIG at (336) 542-1494 to make a report.